Yogaswami
Encyclopedia
Jnana
guru
Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna (1872–1964) was Sri Lanka's most renowned 20th-century spiritual master, a Śivajnani and a natha siddhar revered by both Hindu
s and Buddhists. Yogaswami was trained in and practiced kundalini
yoga
under the guidance of Satguru Chellappaswami, from whom he received guru diksha
(initiation).
. His name was Sadasivan. Following his mother’s death before he reached age 10, he was raised by his aunt and uncle. As a young adult, Yogaswami vowed himself to celibacy and renounced a place in his father's business because it did not allow him time to meditate and study the scriptures.
1905-1911: In 1905, Yogaswami found his guru
Sage Chellappan outside Nallur Temple
. As he walked along the road, Chellappaswami shouted loudly: "Hey! Who are you? There is not one wrong thing! It is as it is! Who knows?" Suddenly everything vanished in a sea of light for the young yogi
. At a later encounter in a festival crowd, Chellappaswami ordered him, "Go within; meditate; stay here until I return." He came back three days later to find Yogaswami still waiting for his master. Soon afterwards Yogaswami gave up his job and everything else, in order to follow Chellappaswami for the next five years. His life became filled with intense spiritual discipline
and severe austerity
. Following Yogaswami’s ordination (sannyas diksha), his guru sent him away and never received him again. Chellappaswami died in 1911.
1911-1961: Yogaswami spent years of intense tapas
under the olive
tree at Colombuthurai Road on the outskirts of Jaffna
. His practice was to meditate for three days and nights in the open without moving about or taking shelter from the weather. On the fourth day he would walk long distances, returning to the olive tree to repeat the cycle
. In his outward behavior
, Yogaswami followed the example of his guru
, for he would drive away those who tried to approach him. After some years, he allowed a few sincere seekers to approach. As more and more devotees gathered around him, his austere demeanor relaxed. He was eventually persuaded to occupy a small hut
in the garden of a house near his olive tree. This remained his 'base' for the rest of his life. Even here he initially forbade devotees to revere or care for him. Devotees would come to him for help in all their problems, usually in the early mornings and in the evenings. Day and night Yogaswami was absorbed in his inner worship
. On one occasion, Yogaswami was seated in perfect stillness, like a stone. A crow
flew down and rested several minutes on his head, apparently thinking this was a statue.
1961-1964: In 1961, the 89-year-old Yogaswami broke his hip while feeding his cow Valli. Swami spent months in the hospital, and once released needed a wheelchair
. He still meted out his wisdom and guidance throughout his final few years. At 3:30 am on a Wednesday in March 1964, Yogaswami passed at age 91. The whole nation of Sri Lanka
stopped when the radio
spread news of his Great Departure (mahasamadhi), and devotees thronged to Jaffna
to bid him farewell. Today, a temple complex is being erected on the site of the hut where he lived for 50 years.
s, called Natchintanai, "good thoughts," urging seekers to follow dharma
and realize God
within. These gems flowed spontaneously from him. Any devotee present would write them down, and he occasionally scribed them himself. Natchintanai have been published in several books and through the primary outlet and archive
of his teachings, the Sivathondan, a monthly journal he established in 1934 (see above). To this day, Yogaswami's devotees intone Natchintanai songs during their daily worship
. Natchintanai are a profound tool for teaching Hinduism
's core truths.
Four great sayings (maha-vakyas) in the Tamil language
encapsulate his message:
Second of the four was Chellathurai Swamy, who was principle and then later become a disciple of Yogaswamy. Chellathurai Swamy devoted his entire life in putting the correct path to Sivathondan Centers (Two Sivathondan Nilayam at Jaffna and at Batticaloa) after attaining highest wisdom.
Third of the four was Santhaswamy, who was the son of Lord Viscount Soulbury
, who was the last Governor-General of Ceylon
during the British colonial period. His original name was James Ramsbotham and had master degree in philosophy. He dedicated his life in realizing the truth/highest wisdom and for that he search spiritual teacher in west and for sometime, he followed P. D. Ouspensky
. However, later he found out Yogaswamy, followed his path, and realized the self.
Fourth of the four was Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
, a young enlightened American in search of his guru. Yogaswami gave him the name Subramuniya. Jnanaguru Yogaswami initiated Subramuniya into the holy orders of sannyasa and ordained him into his lineage with a tremendous slap on the back. Subramuniya took Yogaswami's message back to America. He fulfilled his mission by building two temples of his own, giving blessings to dozens of groups to build temples in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and elsewhere, gifting Deity images to 36 temples to begin the worship, and establishing the Hindu Heritage Endowment to support Hindu temples, organizations, relief efforts, publications and other institutions and projects worldwide. Yogaswami continued to communicate with Subramuniya through Kandiah Chettiar until his death in 1964. In the line of successorship, Subramuniya was considered the 162nd Jagadacharya of the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara.
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna (1872–1964) was Sri Lanka's most renowned 20th-century spiritual master, a Śivajnani and a natha siddhar revered by both Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s and Buddhists. Yogaswami was trained in and practiced kundalini
Kundalini
Kundalini literally means coiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine. It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent...
yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
under the guidance of Satguru Chellappaswami, from whom he received guru diksha
Diksha
Diksa also spelled deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism...
(initiation).
Biography
1872-1905: Yogaswami was born near the Kandaswamy temple in Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. His name was Sadasivan. Following his mother’s death before he reached age 10, he was raised by his aunt and uncle. As a young adult, Yogaswami vowed himself to celibacy and renounced a place in his father's business because it did not allow him time to meditate and study the scriptures.
- In 1889, Swami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
visited JaffnaJaffnaJaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
and made a deep impression on the 18-year-old yogiYogiA Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
. During his visit, a large crowd took him in festive procession along Colombuthurai Road. As he neared the oliveOliveThe olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
(illuppai) tree that Yogaswami later performed his tapaTapas (Sanskrit)Tapasya in Sanskrit means "heat". In Vedic religion and Hinduism, it is used figuratively, denoting spiritual suffering, mortification or austerity, and also the spiritual ecstasy of a yogin or tāpasá . In the Rigveda, the word is connected with the Soma cult...
s under, Vivekananda stopped the procession and disembarked from his carriage. He explained that this was sacred ground and that he preferred to walk past. He described the area around the tree as an "oasis in the desert." The next day, Yogaswami attended Vivekananda's public speech. Vivekananda began his address with "The time is short but the subject is vast." This statement went deep into Yogaswami's psyche. He repeated it like a mantraMantraA mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
to himself and spoke it to devotees throughout his lifeLifeLife is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
. - Around 1890, Yogaswami found a job as a storekeeper for an irrigationIrrigationIrrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
project in KilinochchiKilinochchiKilinochchi is a city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road some south-east of Jaffna...
. Here, he lived like a yogiYogiA Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
, often meditating all night long. He demanded utter simplicity and purity of himself, as he would later of his devotees.
1905-1911: In 1905, Yogaswami found his guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
Sage Chellappan outside Nallur Temple
Nallur Kandaswamy temple
-External links:****]]** requires silverlight...
. As he walked along the road, Chellappaswami shouted loudly: "Hey! Who are you? There is not one wrong thing! It is as it is! Who knows?" Suddenly everything vanished in a sea of light for the young yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
. At a later encounter in a festival crowd, Chellappaswami ordered him, "Go within; meditate; stay here until I return." He came back three days later to find Yogaswami still waiting for his master. Soon afterwards Yogaswami gave up his job and everything else, in order to follow Chellappaswami for the next five years. His life became filled with intense spiritual discipline
Discipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
and severe austerity
Austerity
In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...
. Following Yogaswami’s ordination (sannyas diksha), his guru sent him away and never received him again. Chellappaswami died in 1911.
1911-1961: Yogaswami spent years of intense tapas
Tapas (Sanskrit)
Tapasya in Sanskrit means "heat". In Vedic religion and Hinduism, it is used figuratively, denoting spiritual suffering, mortification or austerity, and also the spiritual ecstasy of a yogin or tāpasá . In the Rigveda, the word is connected with the Soma cult...
under the olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
tree at Colombuthurai Road on the outskirts of Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
. His practice was to meditate for three days and nights in the open without moving about or taking shelter from the weather. On the fourth day he would walk long distances, returning to the olive tree to repeat the cycle
Historic recurrence
Historic recurrence is the repetition of similar events in history. In the extreme, the concept hypothetically assumes the form of the Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence, which has been written about in various forms since antiquity and was described in the 19th century by Heinrich Heine and Friedrich...
. In his outward behavior
Behavior
Behavior or behaviour refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with its environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment...
, Yogaswami followed the example of his guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
, for he would drive away those who tried to approach him. After some years, he allowed a few sincere seekers to approach. As more and more devotees gathered around him, his austere demeanor relaxed. He was eventually persuaded to occupy a small hut
Hut
Hut may refer to:*Hut , a small and crude shelter*Hans Hut , Anabaptist leader*Hut Records, an English audio records company*Sunglass Hut International, largest American retailer of sunglasses...
in the garden of a house near his olive tree. This remained his 'base' for the rest of his life. Even here he initially forbade devotees to revere or care for him. Devotees would come to him for help in all their problems, usually in the early mornings and in the evenings. Day and night Yogaswami was absorbed in his inner worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
. On one occasion, Yogaswami was seated in perfect stillness, like a stone. A crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
flew down and rested several minutes on his head, apparently thinking this was a statue.
- In December 1934, Yogaswami had his devotees begin his monthly journalMagazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, Sivathondan, meaning both "servant of SivaShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
" and "service to Siva." As the years passed, his followers became more numerous. Swami relented a little, permitting them to express their devotion by cleaning and repairing his hut. Nearly all his devotees were householders and engaged in some employment or other. Apart from one or two exceptions, he rarely advised them to retire from their employment. For him, the whole of man's life had to be made a spiritual practice and he would not admit any division of human activity into holy and unholy. - In 1940, Yogaswami went to India on pilgrimage to Banaras and Chidambaram. His letter from Banaras states, "After wanderings far in an earnest quest, I came to Kasi and saw the Lord of the Universe - within myself. The herb that you seek is under your feet." One day he visited Sri Ramana MaharshiRamana MaharshiSri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu spiritual master . He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation , he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus...
at his Arunachalam AshramSri Ramana AshramSri Ramana Ashram also known as Sri Ramanasramam is the ashram, which was home to modern sage and Advaita Vedanta philosopher, Ramana Maharishi from 1922 till his death here in 1950...
. The two simply sat all afternoon, facing each other in eloquent silence. Not a word was spoken. Back in Jaffna he explained, "We said all that had to be said."
1961-1964: In 1961, the 89-year-old Yogaswami broke his hip while feeding his cow Valli. Swami spent months in the hospital, and once released needed a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. He still meted out his wisdom and guidance throughout his final few years. At 3:30 am on a Wednesday in March 1964, Yogaswami passed at age 91. The whole nation of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
stopped when the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
spread news of his Great Departure (mahasamadhi), and devotees thronged to Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
to bid him farewell. Today, a temple complex is being erected on the site of the hut where he lived for 50 years.
Natchintanai
Yogaswami conveyed his teachings in over 3,000 poems and songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, called Natchintanai, "good thoughts," urging seekers to follow dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
and realize God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
within. These gems flowed spontaneously from him. Any devotee present would write them down, and he occasionally scribed them himself. Natchintanai have been published in several books and through the primary outlet and archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
of his teachings, the Sivathondan, a monthly journal he established in 1934 (see above). To this day, Yogaswami's devotees intone Natchintanai songs during their daily worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
. Natchintanai are a profound tool for teaching Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
's core truths.
The Words of Our Master
It is a collections of sayings of Great Sage Yogaswami. Though Swamy told his teaching to all of his devotees at various time, four of them have noted those gems of saying in their diary. The four of them were Markandu Swamy, Sellathurai Swamy, Santha Swamy and Srikhantha. The saying originally were in Tamil and English. Later, Santha Swamy translated the Tamil sayings to English and compiled them as book with the caption of "Words of Our Master". This book was published first by Sivathondan society Ltd, established by Yogaswamy. in 1974, Sellathurai Swamy compiled them in Tamil and published with the caption of "Engal Aasan Arul Molihal" (எங்கள் ஆசான் அருள்மொழிகள்).Yogaswami’s message
Yogaswami's message to the world is "Know thy Self by thyself" (Thannai Ari-தன்னை அறி)and the path to realize the self is the "Sivathondu". The one who is doing Sivathondu is called Sivathondan (Servant of Siva).Four great sayings (maha-vakyas) in the Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
encapsulate his message:
- Oru Pollapum Illai: "There is not even one wrong thing"
- Muzhuthum Unmai: "All is truth"
- Eppavo mudintha kaariyam: "It was all accomplished long ago"
- Naam Ariyom: "We do not know"
Disciples
Among the thousands of devotees of Sivayogaswamy, four disciples followed his path. One of the four was Markandu Swamy, who was a staff in Department of survey, Sri Lanka and then later he stayed at Kaithady Ashram. Yogaswamy remarked one day regarding Markandu Swamy, “I kept him as compass for you all”. Indeed, Markandu Swamy was the perfect embodiment of the teaching of Yogaswamy.Second of the four was Chellathurai Swamy, who was principle and then later become a disciple of Yogaswamy. Chellathurai Swamy devoted his entire life in putting the correct path to Sivathondan Centers (Two Sivathondan Nilayam at Jaffna and at Batticaloa) after attaining highest wisdom.
Third of the four was Santhaswamy, who was the son of Lord Viscount Soulbury
Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury
Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury GCMG, GCVO, OBE, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician. He was a government minister between 1931 and 1941 and served as Governor-General of Ceylon between 1949 and 1954....
, who was the last Governor-General of Ceylon
Governor-General of Ceylon
The Governor-General of Ceylon was the representative of the Ceylonese monarch, and head of state, who held the title of Queen of Ceylon from 1948 when the country became independent as a Dominion until the country became the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972.-Role:The monarch, on the advice of the...
during the British colonial period. His original name was James Ramsbotham and had master degree in philosophy. He dedicated his life in realizing the truth/highest wisdom and for that he search spiritual teacher in west and for sometime, he followed P. D. Ouspensky
P. D. Ouspensky
Peter D. Ouspensky , , a Russian esotericist known for his expositions of the early work of the Greek-Armenian teacher of esoteric doctrine George Gurdjieff, whom he met in Moscow in 1915.He was associated with the ideas and practices originating with...
. However, later he found out Yogaswamy, followed his path, and realized the self.
Fourth of the four was Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami , also known as Gurudeva by his followers, was born in Oakland, California, on January 5, 1927, and adopted Saivism as a young man. He traveled to India and Sri Lanka where he received initiation from Yogaswami of Jaffna in 1949...
, a young enlightened American in search of his guru. Yogaswami gave him the name Subramuniya. Jnanaguru Yogaswami initiated Subramuniya into the holy orders of sannyasa and ordained him into his lineage with a tremendous slap on the back. Subramuniya took Yogaswami's message back to America. He fulfilled his mission by building two temples of his own, giving blessings to dozens of groups to build temples in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and elsewhere, gifting Deity images to 36 temples to begin the worship, and establishing the Hindu Heritage Endowment to support Hindu temples, organizations, relief efforts, publications and other institutions and projects worldwide. Yogaswami continued to communicate with Subramuniya through Kandiah Chettiar until his death in 1964. In the line of successorship, Subramuniya was considered the 162nd Jagadacharya of the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara.
External links
- Words of Our Master, a collection of his sayings and teachings
- Natchinthani-Free Download of Natchinthani (English Version)is available.
- Sivathondan, Official website of the Sivathondan Society Ltd, Jaffna.
- Yoga Swami the Image-Breaker By Sam Wickramasinghe
- A Yogaswami Story Never Told By Dr. James George
- About yoga swami and his teaching Yogaranpar Website